Alf Cate

William Alfred Cate (22 November 1878 – 22 October 1939) was a cricketer who played four matches of first-class cricket for Wellington between 1908 and 1922, and represented New Zealand in 1922–23.

Alf Cate
Personal information
Full nameWilliam Alfred Cate
Born(1878-11-22)22 November 1878
Upper Hutt, New Zealand
Died22 October 1939(1939-10-22) (aged 60)
Petone, New Zealand
BattingRight-handed
RoleWicket-keeper
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1908–09 to 1922–23Wellington
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 5
Runs scored 43
Batting average 6.14
100s/50s 0/0
Top score 11
Balls bowled –
Wickets –
Bowling average –
5 wickets in innings –
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling –
Catches/stumpings 4/2
Source: Cricinfo, 20 April 2017

Alf Cate worked as a wool classer in Wellington, and taught wool classing at the Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College for 25 years. He and his wife had a daughter.[1]

He made his first-class debut in 1908, but then had to wait until 1920 before he played again, partly because Wellington had New Zealand representative wicket-keepers in Jeremiah Mahoney and James Condliffe in this period, but also because he was unable to make himself available.[1] Despite his age (44) and lack of first-class experience, Cate replaced Condliffe as New Zealand's wicket-keeper in the third of the three matches New Zealand played against MCC in 1922–23.[2] It was his last first-class match.

The former New Zealand captain Tom Cobcroft, writing in the New Zealand Truth, regarded Cate still as New Zealand's best wicket-keeper in 1925, when Cate was 47, hampered by ill-health, and playing only club cricket for Petone in Wellington.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Alfred W. Cate". Evening Post. 23 October 1939. p. 3.
  2. Don Neely & Richard Payne, Men in White: The History of New Zealand International Cricket, 1894–1985, Moa, Auckland, 1986, p. 63.
  3. Cobcroft, L. T. (5 December 1925). "Three Notables". New Zealand Truth (1045). p. 11.
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